Here's the complete and unexpurgated original version of the story I wrote on the KTM
Adventure for TBM back in '97. Can't believe it was so long ago! Enjoy!
PNB
WESTWARD HO!
WEST COUNTRY ADVENTURES ON A KTM ADVENTURE
İ Paul Blezard '97 Originally written for TBM
Blez was the first Brit to give KTMıs Monster Trailie a serious test back
in the summer of '97
With that huge bright orange tank-cum-fairing, KTMıs new rally
tourerı is certainly an eye-catcher and no mistake. When it comes to
street-cred and pose-ability itıs right up there with the most
ostentatious of the Mega Trailies: SuperTen, Africa Twin, RGS1100BMW
and Triumph Tiger. But appearances can be very deceptive, and the
truth is that this Austrian single has virtually nothing in common
with the aforementioned monsters except presenceı on the street. For
the first couple of days, just tooling around London, I was constantly
aware of how un-user friendly the Adventure was compared to something
like an Africa Twin. I kept thinking how disappointed anyone would be
if theyıd been seduced by the KTMıs gorgeous good looks and bought
one just for showing off in Soho or cruising down the Kingıs Road. The
fact is that any poseur sensible enough to insist on a test ride
before whacking out their American Express Gold Card would probably be
put off the idea before theyıd even got around the block.
Mounting Problems.....
Most people will be looking for a ladder just to climb aboard unless
theyıre already used to stirrups, reins and jodhpurs . Then,when their
crotch hits the plank-like seat, theyıll be calling for a cushion, in a
very high voice. At least you donıt have to worry about mastering the
traditional left-side kick-start because unlike the pukka (and much
more expensive) rally model on which itıs based, the Adventure is
also fitted with an electric start. Thereıs not much else in the way of
creature comforts though. There is a balancerı in the 609cc
single-cylinder motor, but youıd never guess it unless youıve
experienced the eyeball-rattling vibration of the balancer-less
KTM620SC - or a Norton P11 Sixties Desert Sled. Compared to an Aprilia
Pegaso or even an XR600, (let alone the smooth V in an Africa Twin) the
Adventure is still seriously vibratory - enough to blur the mirrors at
most speeds and send an extraordinary throbbing through your knees via
the massive tank. Vibration reducerı would be a more accurate
description than balancerı. Very tall ladies might love it.....
Parking Pergatory
Parking the thing in central London was a major headache, thanks to the
combination of horse-high seat and crappy side-stand. Let me explain.
The Solo Motorcycles Onlyı bays in the West End are invariably well
filled so you always have to squeeze into a tight space, often after
moving mopeds and scooters to make enough room. So Iıd back the KTM
carefully into the tight space, sat astride it, and then try to put the
stand down. Often this in itself would be difficult enough, but as I
stood up on the pegs and my weight transferred from seat to ground via
the stand, the back would come up, the bike would go vertical and start
to tip over onto the right while I frantically tried to get my right
foot back onto the ground before we skittled an entire bay-full of
bikes in a domino disaster. Safe parking required much cursing and
swearing, shifting the back and bars around and making maximum use of
any road camber. To be fair to KTM UK their man in the workshop, John
Pocklington, had already warned me that theyThe dip beam had blown in
the first few miles so I returned to KTMıs HQ to get the miniature
Halogen bulb replaced and while there got them to put the shock back to
the standard setting. There was an immediate improvement in the
behaviour of the sidestand, but itıs still a long way from ideal. And
unlike the rally bikes (and the 620EGS) thereıs no chance of swapping
it for a centre stand due to the Adventureıs extraordinary 2-1-2
stainless steel exhaust system. I could go on for pages about KTM and
their infernal stands; letıs just say they ought to allow their
stand designer out of his Mattighofen hideaway to look at the
oppositionıs efforts. Then he might appreciate that it is not beyond
the wit of man to fit both a sidestand and a centre stand to one bike
simultaneously!!! {[The dual stands on the Africa Twin, the F650 and
even the dear old Army Armstrong ferchrissakes, come immediately to
mind.
Talking of the MT and the F650, I had occasion to ride examples of both
back to back with the Adventure before I left town. The Armstrongıs
ancient air-cooled Rotax unit was a lot smoother than the supposedly
more sophisticated engine in the KTM while the watercooled Rotax in the
Funduro was not only smoother but felt considerably more powerful, as
did the front brake, although I was astonished to discover that the
huge-looking Adventure is actually lighter than the little BMW, (with an
empty tank anyway - 166kg dry vs 170kg dry). Iıd be amazed if the KTM
actually puts out more than about 40bhp at the rear wheel, which makes
itıs lack of smoothness all the harder to understand - and to forgive.
]}
Nutty Lock Stop
I was irritated by the bikeıs lack of steering lock so I wound the
lock-stop bolts several turns back into the bottom yoke. Nothing catches,
so why donıt the factory set them like that in the first place? Talking
of steering, itıs good to see Acerbis bark busters fitted as standard to
the brace-less Magura bars although the combination of the two is so
wide that if it were my own machine Iıd saw at least an inch off the bar
ends.
The brakes were initially rather unbalanced, with the front lever
feeling rather spongy and coming a long way back as the disc squealed
like a stuck pig, while the back brake was ridiculously fierce and
locked at the merest touch of the pedal. I couldnıt do anything about
the sqealing but I reduced the free play on the front lever and
increased it on the foot pedal which improved things all round. One up
and empty, the brakes were powerful enough, but I think if I was using
the Adventureıs full 350kg payload Iıd like a second front disc.
Wo sind die schoene boxen? (Where are those lovely boxes?)
There was just one thing missing before I went way out west - something to
put my gear in. Those low twin exhausts have deliberately been designed to
allow hard luggage to be fitted without making the bike as wide as a small
car (a serious problem on other big trailies) Most of you will have seen
the large colour-matched panniers in the KTM advert thatıs been running in
TBM all year, but someone at the Austrian factory decided to swap the
shapely orange numbers with a pair of large aluminium boxes, as beloved
by overlanding Germans. KTM UK boss Raja Narayan reckons they have about
as much aesthetic and sales appeal as Quasimodoıs hump, and has banished
them from Blighty (and reduced the price accordingly). The bikeıs still
ideal for throwovers of course, but I decided to fit a more elegant hump
of my own - a Givi Maxia top box. The rack which comes as standard on the
Adventure is the same spindly-looking thing fitted throughout the KTM
range, but itıs solidly made and the Givi base rack slotted onto it
Trip-meter Tribulations
My first out-of town rendez-vous was down in Wiltshire with Neil Dust
Trailsı Pidduck, to get some shots of the beast in action on the dirt.
Bowling down the M3 I was surprised to discover that the big thumper
was actually much smoother at 7,000rpm (100mph) than it is between
4,000 and 5,000. But at Fleet Services I had a frustrating time with
the snazzy multiple-function digital speedometer. It can instantly
switch from miles to kilometres, for both speed and trip and you can
even make minute adjustments for different front tyre outer diameters,
or for road book reading discrepancies, but all I wanted to do was zero
the trip. Instead of a simple push of a button, I had to go through a
whole range of parameters as if I were trying to pre-programme a bloody
video {[and, as any teenager will tell you, no-one over the age of 29
is capable of doing that.]} When, by trial and error, I finally managed
to get the trip zeroed, the digital clock told me that I had wasted
five whole minutes on this simple task Whilst the tall screen
certainly keeps the worst of the wind blast off you, it too could be
better. Its narrowness ensures that your shoulders are left a bit
exposed and the appalling optical quality means that you canıt safely
crouch down and look through it, even on the motorway. I also noticed
when I switched my Arai Dual Sport helmet from visor mode to peak that
the wind noise and turbulence, which was already significant, increased
dramatically. Ear plugs were essential out of town. {[Again, check out
the Africa Twin for a shining example of how good a Big Trailie screen
can be]}.
Green Lane Revelation
If you think Iım starting to sound like a whingeing old git ,then bear
with me. My whole perception of the bike changed the instant I followed
Neil off the tarmac and onto the first Wiltshire Green Lane. Whereas
with an Africa Twin or a Super Ten, or even with a Transalp, Iıdıve had
to back right off in deference to the road-biased tyres and heavy front
end, with the Adventure it was a different story entirely. I had no
trouble following Neil, riding a stripped-down XR650, along a deeply
rutted and whoopy green lane. The massively meaty 50mm White Power
Extreme forks were a revelation - they just soaked up everything that I
threw at them and the faster we went, the better the suspension got.
You canıt pick the front up on the throttle, at least not with four
gallons of juice in the tank, but the bike was reassuringly stable,
whether the wheels were on the ground or flying through the air off
the top of a whoop.
KTMıs competition heritage shines through every moment that you spend on
the dirt. They may be crap when it comes to side-stands and screens, but
they sure know how to position a bikeıs weight and controls for dirt
riding. I was equally comfortable and confident whether sitting down and
bimbling or standing on the pegs and going for it, and the transition
between the two positions was effortless. Mind you, when it came to
turning the beast around in a narrow lane I was damn glad that Iıd
adjusted the lock-stop bolts and I wished my legs were as long as Heinz
Kinigadnerıs!
Obviously the bikeıs off-road ability has got as much to do with its
relatively light weight as it does with the excellent WP suspension.
This was particularly brought home to me when we were doing a series
of shots of me hanging the back end out on one of the smooth dirt roads
up on Salisbury Plain. As my confidence increased I got bolder and
bolder (as you do!) until I finally pushed my luck too far and the
front end let go. On any other monster trailie it would have been oops
- bang crash wallopı, but with the KTM I just stuck my foot down and
saved it, just as you would with an XR600, or whatever. It was the same
when I hung the back end out on the brakes so far that it finally came
round to meet me; again, I could just dab my way out of trouble instead
of dropping the plot in an embarrassing heap. On the way back to
Neilıs bijou billet we swapped bikes and took in a few more Green
Lanes; he too came away impressed by the bikeıs off-road ability
{[while I struggled to cope with the XRıs under-inflated and worn out
knobbly tyres on the road, which made it feel distinctly unstable on
tarmac and gave it the disconcerting habit of diving into corners like
a shot dog]}...The KTM could pull away on the straights, but not by
much, confirming my gut feeling that the engine is closer in output to
an air-cooled XR mill than a watercooled Rotax, despite the optimistic
50bhpı claims.CHECK Back at the ranch, Neil said ³I was expecting a
bit more oomph - itıs a bit flat in the middle isnıt it? but he was as
impressed as me by its off-road ability. We also discovered that the
dipped beam bulb had blown for the second time in less than 200 miles.
Fortunately one of Neilıs mates runs a car repair business and he had
one in stock, although fitting the replacement was a real fiddle - a
flap in the inner fairing wo I continued westward as darkness fell, and
my relief at finding a new bulb disappeared as the replacement stopped
working just three miles down the road. After a quick check that it
hadnıt just come loose I resigned myself to riding on to Devon with
just a main beam and a sidelamp.
As I cruised down the A303, pondering on the pointlessness of fitting
twin headlights if youıre only going to put one filament in each, the
left hand (dipped beam) headlight suddenly burst back into life, then
went out again a few seconds later. After a bit of experimentation I
discovered that it would only stay lit if I kept my speed above 85mph
- weird! The damn thing worked only intermittently for the rest of the
journey. On the last few miles of the A38 to South Brent the heavens
opened with a vengeance and seeing where the slippery and soaking wet
road went as it snaked steeply downhill was a tad tricky with only a
sidelight......In those circumstances, combined with a full tank, the
bike felt rather top heavy, {[just as it had when I was chasing Neil
down the narrow and twisting Wiltshire roads before we took to the
dirt.]} Next morning I was awoken by the rhythmic beat of water on
windows. Oh dear. Not ideal for a dayıs trail riding in South Devon.
The sun had sneaked out but it was still drizzling when I arrived at
Lee Mills Services for my 9am rendez-vous with Jeff Phelps of
Adventure Tours. There were eight other riders, but no-one had
anything bigger than a 400 and the least grippy tyre in sight was
Pirelliıs MT21 which is still banned from most long distance trials
for being too knobbly. Jeff looked at the smooth profile of the
Metzeler Saharas, then looked at me as if I were deranged and said
Look at your tyres, man!ı I reckoned the Saharas would be OK if the
going was dry, but after a night of torrential rain, I was starting to
feel a bit nervous, especially since the bike was due to go on display
at the Langrish motocross meeting the very next morning.....
On the very first trail one of Jeffıs punters fell off his lightweight
125 right in front of me, for no good reason, but he was new to green
laning. In fact the first few lanes were pretty straightforward and I
was amazed at the grip I was getting from the Saharas. The trickiest
lane of the morning was actually a tarmac road, one that dips in and
out of the River Avon for nearly a mile to Aveton Gifford. The
Adventurer came through the first few fords with flying colours despite
its low-slung exhausts and a bow wave over the screen. I just made sure
I kept it revving and it steamed through with no bother, while several
of the lightweights conked out, thanks to either wet electrics or water
in their low-slung cartbs. I hadnıt even got my feet wet when, half
way across the very last ford, the water suddenly came up to the seat,
the Adventure conked out and I had to get off and push with water up
to my crotch. Curses! Mind you, most of the others conked out too, and
while they were turning their bikes u It took over half an hour to
revive a smelly KDX200 (doncha just hate riding behind pre-mix
two-strokes?) but we eventually got it re-started and as I gained in
confidence found I was able to stay feet up even on some of the muddy
sections that had most of the others paddling like penguins. Towards
the end of the morning we did a really overgrown lane with that most
tiring of things, a really deep. narrow and slippery central rut which
precludes anything but prolonged footing. About half way up it I was
aware of unusual resistance but didnıt actually realise that Iıd got a
nail in the back tyre till we got back onto terra tarmac. (Iıd left
both tyres at about 30psi). Jeff said there was an ideal spot to have
lunch and repair the flat not much further on, so I gently rode two
more lanes standing up and leaning forward to keep as much weight off
the back as possible. . By the time we got to the Watermanıs Arms at
Bow, the lack of a security bolt meant that the tyre had well and truly
spun on the rim, ripping the valve out and tearing the rubber rim tape
asunder, but fortunately Jeff had a spare tube. With one man balancing
the bike on its sidestand and two working on the wheel, Iıd barely had
time to get the beers in before theyıd got the old tube out and the new
one in. Thatıs my idea of painless puncture repair! (Thanks lads!)
Talking of spannering, the Adventureıs toolkit is an exemplary
collection of high quality, minimalist equipment and if it didnıt cost
over £50 Iıd buy one for myself, although tea leaves can easily help
themselves because thereıs no frigginı lock on the box, just as thereıs
no lock on the cap of that 6 gallon tank - talk about spoiling the
ship for a haıporth of tar!
The closest I came to dropping the bike was when I rashly rode it
through the picturesque ford outside the pub - the stones in the
water were covered with ice-like green stuff. I did a precautionary
recce on Jeffıs 400 (which felt like a 125 after the bigıun) so I
knew what to expect, but even so I had to foot and paddle desperately
to get across. Again, with any other monster trailie Iıd have dropped
the plot for sure.
After a splendid outdoor luncheon in beautiful sunshine we went on to
have one of the most enjoyable afternoons of trail riding that Iıve
ever had, despite being hampered by two more punctures on other
machines. Highlights included storming up several rocky climbs non-stop
and feet up, including the famous Corkscrew Hill. while the less
experienced punters frantically pushed and paddled on their lightweight
125s. The Adventure was absolutely in its element in those conditions,
the massive White Power forks just swallowing up even the most massive
boulders - no matter how hard I hit them the KTM always stayed on line.
Some of the descents were pretty tricky, especially those with deep
narrow gullies but although I kept expecting the wide-looking twin
downpipes to ground on the right, or even to get wedged in, somehow
they never did. I vividly remember one incident in which I lost the
front on some really slippery mud and went into a full-bore, feet-up
front wheel drift which lasted for several seconds, but somehow
managed to regain control without even taking a dab. I came out of that
one with a big smile on my face feeling like Stephane Peterhansel, and
by the end of the day I was ready to tackle just about anything short
of a Welsh bog - and I wouldıve willingly had a crack at one of them if
Iıd had knobblies! Jeff pronounced himself F***ing amazedı at the
bikeıs off-road ability. I was riding pathfinderı on the last trail
which was so overgrown that I was glad of the protection provided by
the screen and fairing, yet I was able to creep down it at walking
pace, clutch home and feet up all the way.
I took my leave of the others at 5.30 when one of the 125s
mysteriously conked out, because I needed time to clean the bike
before it got dark. Back in South Brent, with the help of my friend
Robert,we soon had the bike sparkling clean again. (Thanks, mate).{[
Rob owns an immaculate BMW GS100 Bumblebeeı and seeing the two
machines parked side by side I was struck by how spindly the Beemerıs
forks looked alongside the 50mm WP Extremesı fitted to the KTM. They
are just so meaty - and better in my opinion than the 45mm
Upside-downies fitted to the 620EGS.]}
I headed back up the A38 and the A303 in the gathering gloom and this
time the dip beam had gone on strike completely and the computer-like
speedometer screen had mysteriously gone blank. In less than an hour
and a half I was at another friendıs place near Warminster. Once more
I awoke to the pitter patter of rain and as I set off towards
Petersfield it was absolutely hissing down. Within ten minutes I
could feel the water coming through the arms of my ultra-expensive
Rukka Goretex jacket, but there was light relief to be had even in
those conditions. Cruising at about 85-90 I was passing virtually all
the four-wheeled traffic and quite a few bikes. I shot past two 916s
and a Triumph 595 that were creeping along at about 65, their riders
hunched over their tank bags looking absolutely miserable. Had to
smile. I also caught and passed a BMW R1100RT, a bike whose fairing
provides more protection from the elements than just about anything
else on two wheels, but itıs still over 200lbs heavier than the KTM
As I turned into the paddock at Langrish I was faced with my toughest
trailı yet. The torrential rain had made the grassy slope as slippery
as ice, and a tractor was towing trucks and cars hither and thither. I
got right through the paddock without mishap and could see my
objective - the KTM stand - on the other side of the motocross track.
The crossing point had been turned into a quagmire by both bikes and
pedestrians, and it was uphill to boot. When practice ended and the
gates were opened , punters instantly swarmed across so I had no
chanace of a run up. I slipped and slithered across the first half,
and got three quarters of the way across the second but on the steep
climb out the Saharas just spun wildly and the bike started to
tip...going, going, gone! Fortunately willing hands helped me pick up
my fallen steed and there was no damage whatsoever - just a dollop of
mud on the bottom of the tank and the right hand barkbuster. But the
bike had got dirtier riding the last 50 yards than it had in After
watching an excellent dayıs racing at Langrish I had another great
thrash back along the A272, catching and passing another pair of
sports bikes on the way. As I motored back up the M3 I reflected on
the KTMıs good and bad points. For all its little annoyances -the
stand, the speedo, the rock hard seat, this was a bike that I could
definitely get attached to. A bike that would literally take you
through hell and high water - or across the desert - and come out the
other side unscathed. Yeah, it would be nice if it were smoother and
more comfortable and had a bit more poke, but I can think of no other
machine that combines such mile-munching open road cruise-ability with
such awesome ability to soak up whatever rough terrain you care to
throw at it. Besides, you can forgive a lot of a bike that can make
you feel like Stephane Peterhansel! Donıt buy a KTM Adventure just
for posing because youıll only be disappointed - buy one to have
some serious adventures on, because thatıs what it was designed for.
Paul Blezard
Post Script: The last dipped beam had not blown, a bare wire was shorting
it out. The speedo was working all the time, it was just that the contrast
switch had been inadvertently adjusted.
KICK PROVIDES BELT AND BRACESı - AND WILL EVEN START BIKE IF BATTERY IS
COMPLETELY FLAT.
KTM OPTIONS INCLUDE A ROAD BOOK HOLDER AND GPS CONNECTION AND OF COURSE,
THE DREADED PANNIERS. FRAME IS CROMOLY.
PRICE: (in '97) £7,000 PLUS ROAD TAX
£1,000 MORE THAN AN EGS620, BUT FOR THAT YOU GET MASSIVE TANK, FAIRING,
PANNIER-FRIENDLY EXHAUSTS, BARK BUSTERS AND A THINNER, MORE UNCOMFORTABLE
SEAT. ITıS STILL £3,000 CHEAPER THAN A PUKKA RALLY BIKE, AND THAT DOESNıT
HAVE ELECTRIC START!
MAGURA BARS HAVE NO CROSS BRACE
ENGINE IS IDENTICAL 609CC UNIT TO THAT USED IN EGS620 ENOUGH FOR 100+MPH
SMOOTH IT AINıT!
LONG, 60INCH WHEELBASE PROVIDES TREMENDOUS STABILITY ON AND OFF ROAD. 5
SPEED BOX IS WELL SPACED.
BACK OF BIKE IS BEAUTIFULLY NARROW -BARS ARE A BIT WIDE WITH BARK BUSTERS
TWIN HEADLIGHTS ONLY WORK ONE AT A (TIME IF AT ALL)- DOUBLE FILAMENTS
WOULD BE BETTER PROTECTION AGAINST BLOWN BULBS AND VIBRATION IS SUSPECTED
CULPRIT.
TOOLKIT IS GREAT - BUT THEREıS NO LOCK ON THAT CONTAINER.
TWIN TAPS PROVIDE TWO RESERVE TANKS.
PASSENGER HANDLE HAS TO COME OFF TO REMOVE SIDE PANEL, BUT SEAT IS HELD ON
WITH JUST ONE BOLT UNDERNEATH.
SHORT ARSES WOULD PROBABLY LIKE TO SEE A LOW SEAT VERSION AS PER THE
620LGS, WITH SMALLER WHEELS.
re; puncture; LACK OF CENTRE STAND IS NO PROBLEM WHEN YOUıRE MOB-HANDED!
BROKEN RIM TAPE WAS JUST KNOTTED BACK TOGETHER.
SMALL NAIL DID THE DAMAGE.
LUCKY SOMEONE ELSE HAD A TUBE AND LEVERS COS BLEZ CERTAINLY DIDNıT!
THEREıS A HOLE IN THE RIM FOR A SECURITY BOLT, BUT NOTHING IN IT.
NYLON PLASTIC TANK IS VERY ROBUST AND HOLDS 28LITRES - VIBRATES AGAINST
YOUR KNEES THOUGH.....
SEAT IS MARGINALLY MORE COMFORTABLE THAN A FAKIRıS BED OF NAILS.......